Explanation: The above photo, taken as the
Apollo 17 astronauts orbited the Moon
in 1972, depicts the stark lunar surface around
the Eratosthenes and Copernicus craters.
Many similar images of a Moon devoid of life are
familiar to denizens of the space age.
Contrary to this modern perception,
life on the Moon was reported in August of 1835
in a series of sensational stories first published by the New York Sun
- apparently intended to improve the paper's circulation.
These descriptions of lunar life received broad credence and
became one of the most spectacular
hoaxes in history.
Supposedly based on telescopic observations,
the stories featured full, lavish
accounts of a Moon with oceans and beaches, teeming with plant
and animal life and climaxing
with the report of sightings of groups of
winged, furry, human-like creatures resembling bats!
Within a month the hoax had been revealed
but the newspaper continued to enjoy an increased readership.
Though barren,
the Moon remains a popular setting for
science fiction stories and extra-terrestrial adventures.
It has now been
25 years since Apollo 17 ended an era of
human exploration of Earth's Moon.